Press
Release

For Immediate ReleaseMarch 8, 2005

FBI
RESPONDS TO NAPA REPORT
ON FBI TRANSFORMATION

Washington,
D.C. -- The FBI responded today to release of the National Academy of Public
Administration (NAPA)
report entitled, "Transforming the FBI: Progress and Challenges."

The
FBI appreciates the efforts of the NAPA Panel on FBI Reorganization, led
by former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.For
more than two years, the Panel has monitored the FBI's progress in adapting
to new threats, and has made constructive recommendations that have contributed
greatly to the success of the Bureau's reorganization and transformation
efforts to date.

The
findings and recommendations of this report, which focused on counterterrorism,
intelligence, and security, are timely, constructive, and helpful to our
efforts to improve our capabilities in these areas.We are pleased that the Panel reported
progress in all of the areas examined, and that the Panel's number one recommendation
is "that the FBI continue to be the key domestic intelligence agency
responsible for such national security concerns as terrorism, counterintelligence,
cyber, and transnational criminal activity."

The
FBI agrees that there are areas where we need to strengthen our efforts and
improve our performance.As a
general matter, the recommendations in the report are consistent with initiatives
that are either currently underway or in the planning stages.The FBI continues to enhance processes
and technologies to improve information sharing.We
continue to strengthen our intelligence capabilities by standing up the Directorate
of Intelligence and instituting recruitment and training initiatives to build
an intelligence workforce.We
also have efforts underway to strengthen management and enforcement of our
security program.

Director
Robert S. Mueller, III, said, "NAPA's
Panel on FBI Reorganization has been a valuable partner in the FBI's transformation
efforts.We are gratified that the panel has endorsed
our overall approach to reform the Bureau and enhance its capabilities.We intend to work closely with the House
Appropriations Committee to follow up on the findings and recommendations
in this report, and we look forward to working with NAPA during
the upcoming year."